Geelong legend Bill Goggin is one of football's great men; like Francis Bourke, a champion on and off the field. As a kid I'd watch Billy and the wizard "Polly" Farmer weave their magic and as a young VFA reporter I remember the exciting, skilful Geelong West sides Billy coached, including the '75 team, one of the best in the Association I ever had the pleasure to see.
As Big V leader, Billy invited me into the rooms to hear his pre-match speech one memorable night in Adelaide. He also assisted with valuable background for my best-selling Gary Ablett biography and contributed to some of the tall stories and true in The Greatest Game. He's always delightful company and doesn't mind a joke against himself.
Colleague Geoff Poulter has a similar whimsical sense of humor and was in the rooms one day at Footscray when Billy, then the Bulldogs coach, went right off against the umpires. ‘Those bloody umpires... when are we going to get a bloody free kick?' he roared, a statement duly reported by Geoff in the next day's Melbourne Herald.
Years later, Billy was at a Geelong luncheon and as he sat down he saw a note pinned to his place-mat. In big lettering was: ‘THOSE BLOODY UMPIRES... WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET A BLOODY FREE KICK?'
Billy immediately knew it was the work of Poulter, a co-guest at the lunch and laughed as loud as everyone else.
I rang Billy to tell him I was researching some of my favorite Geelong-area footballers and half an hour later we were still yarning. We would still be now except he'd just been to the dentist and was a bit sore.
‘What about Damian Bourke (from St Josephs)?' said Billy. ‘Now there was a good local boy. He wouldn't play a game today. They reckon he'd be too rough. But he could play. He was seriously good.'
‘Matty Scarlett is a St Joey's boy too. And what about Gary Ablett (jnr)? He would have been about three years old, no more, when he first came down with his Dad. Now that is as local as you can get... and Ken, you'd better mention Sam (Newman). He's always complaining he doesn't get enough publicity. But he was a Grammar boy, from Point Lonsdale. He has to be in there."
In a Phar Lap field, Billy is my favorite Geelong local boy from the likes of the tough-as-nails Bourke through to Sam, who is seriously funny... right up there with little Billy who played 250 plus games for Geelong and Victoria and captained his state in 1968.
Billy was 13 when he first played at North Geelong and 14 when he won his first best and fairest, in the Under 15s, exactly 55 years ago.
He graduated to the thirds at Geelong and had just turned 17 when he had his first senior practice games at Kardinia Park, beginning one of the great careers, which carried on too at Geelong West where he played and coached flag teams at both First and Second Division level in the ‘70s.
Bill's brothers Matt and Charlie could also play, Matt aggregating almost 100 games at Geelong and representing Victoria before heading bush to coach (at Cohuna).
Charlie and Lindy Goggin's boy Mathew is a champion golfer and finished in the top six in last year's British Open (Lindy also being an Australian representative golfer.
They are part of a wonderful sporting family and remain Geelong through and through.
With apologies to the likes of David Clarke, Mark Blake and some of the local League stars like Paddy McMahon (St Marys), Phil Stringer (Thomson), Reg Kent (GWCFC) and the journyman Darryl Bisset (Georgie's son) who had too many clubs to narrow down to one, my favorite 10 Geelong-and-surrounds footballers are:
Damian Bourke: A St Joey's boy, he was one of the great ruckman of the ‘80s, tough and competitive, a redhead with real attitude. Geelong teams walked taller whenever Damian was around;
Terry Bright: A Norlane boy he won a flag at Under 15 level and walked straight into Geelong West's premiership team, as a 16-year-old in 1975. I can still remember his magnificent field kicking on Grand Final day, including some scintillating stab passes, just like his uncle and team coach Billy Goggin. He also was to play 200 games with the Cats at VFL/AFL level;
Billy Goggin: the star of a great sporting family, a North Geelong boy and a shining light in Geelong's famous ‘63 premiership team;
Ken Hands: the oldest among my group, he was a North Geelong boy who did great things at Carlton, both as a player and a coach. He was tough as they come and was involved in the infamous '45 Bloodbath Grand Final;
Michael & Nigel Kol: Identical twins, they were Lara boys and products of St Joseph's, one of the great footballing schools. They could both run, Michael being one of the first-picked when he was at his best;
Ian & Bruce Nankervis: Both played more than 200 games with the Cats. Were both champion players. Hailed from Barwon;
John ‘Sam' Newman: Impossible to ignore, a 300-game legend. Was from ‘The Grammar' as Bobby Davis likes to say and a star at 17. Grew up in Point Lonsdale. Several of his old school chums are still among his closest confidants;
Matt Primus: Port Adelaide's new coach was an outstanding ruckman and a Grovedale boy who somehow slipped under the Geelong radar, despite coming from a family of champion footballers;
Robert Scott: A no-nonsense pepper-and-salt smallman who played more than 200 games, the majority at Geelong before he crossed to North Melbourne and was a star in the ‘96 Centenary Year premiership. Was from Torquay;
Paul Vinar: Originally from Barwon, he was a star of the ‘60s, his drop kicking a delight. He won at least one Long Kicking competition on the old World of Sport earning him the reputation as being the best kick in the League.
By Ken Piesse
Article first appeared vcfl.com.au, July 19, 2010